The military junta in Myanmar has transitioned its leader, Min Aung Hlaing, from commander-in-chief to president. This follows staged elections held five years after the 2021 coup that removed the elected civilian government. Foreign governments are advised to carefully manage their interactions with Naypyitaw. This approach aims to avoid granting undue legitimacy to the current administration. Five years after mounting a coup that ousted an elected civilian government, Min Aung Hlaing has overseen tightly staged elections transitioning him from commander-in-chief to president.
Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa secured Chinese backing for Indonesia When Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa landed in Beijing last week, the official agenda appeared straightforward: secure support for Indonesia’s first sovereign Panda Bond, deepen financial cooperation with China and strengthen investor confidence. By those measures, the visit was productive. Purbaya returned with Chinese backing for the Panda Bond initiative, discussions on expanding yuan-rup.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority chairman Ashik Chowdhury stated defense issues would be discussed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip When Ashik Chowdhury, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, was recently asked about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip to China, his response caught the room off guard. “Many issues will come up,” Chowdhury remarked, “starting with defense.” For a diplomatic trip strictly billed around trade, investment, and business, it was an The post Everythi.
Zardaly, a Kyrgyz village in the Batken region, is seeing its only access road expanded and reinforced. Previously, the precarious mountain pass was dangerous for people and horses, with some falling to their deaths. The infrastructure improvements are bringing new life to the area. New housing is being built. A power station is also planned for Zardaly. In Kyrgyzstan's remote Batken region, locals say people and horses have fallen to their deaths while traversing the only road to the village of Zardaly.
The Pentagon restored the designation US Pacific Command, replacing the Indo-Pacific Command name The Pentagon’s decision to restore the designation US Pacific Command (USPACOM), replacing the Indo-Pacific Command name adopted in 2018, has officially been presented as a historical adjustment rather than a strategic shift., the command’s area of responsibility remains unchanged, stretching from America’s Pacific coastline to India’s western border,.
Armenia will hold its general election on 7 June. Foreign policy has become the central issue of the campaign. This marks the first election since 2021. The results could significantly shape Yerevan's external relations. Armenians will head to the polls on 7 June for the country’s first general election since 2021. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Joshua Kucera explains why foreign policy has dominated the campaign and what the results may mean for Yerevan’s external relations.
Djibouti's strategic location on the Bab el-Mandeb strait makes it a critical hub for global trade and military operations. The nation hosts military bases for the United States, China, France, and Japan. This presence provides significant revenue but also complicates Djibouti's foreign policy. The country must balance its economic interests with regional stability. It navigates shifting alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Pakistan began conveying proposals to end the US-Iran war on 28 February. This move came soon after the US and Israel started bombing Iran. Islamabad has persevered in its mediation efforts despite the risks. The stakes are high for Pakistan in this endeavor. S. and Israel began bombing Iran on 28 February, Pakistan started conveying proposals for ending the war.
The European Union's next seven-year budget may reduce spending on conflict prevention and aid to fragile states. Crisis Group experts Lisa Musiol and Dylan Macchiarini Crosson discuss the potential consequences. The budget could impact the EU's ability to address global turmoil. Funding cuts may affect peace efforts in fragile regions. The European Union’s next seven-year budget could put spending on conflict prevention and aid to fragile states at risk.
US and Iranian delegations are meeting in Switzerland. After briefly appearing to falter, US-Iran implementation talks are back on track, with senior American and Iranian delegations converging on Switzerland for what could prove a decisive phase in turning a fragile wartime memorandum into a broader political settlement. US-Iran Talks Revived As Vance Heads To Switzerland For High-Stakes Push.
Marjane Satrapi was laid to rest in Paris on June 19. The Iranian-born author wrote the graphic novel Persepolis, which was later adapted into a Cannes-winning animated film. Satrapi's work was honored with tributes in Paris. She was a renowned artist, activist, and filmmaker. Iranian-born author Marjane Satrapi, who wrote the hit graphic novel Persepolis, was laid to rest on June 19 in Paris amid tributes honoring her work.
Russia is experiencing gas shortages at fuel stations. Pulling up at a gas station with no fuel for sale, a Russian woman is aghast: “What’s going on in this country?” What’s going on is that in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is fighting back with strikes on oil refineries, part of a bid to bring the war to citizens across Russia.
US and Iranian delegations delayed travel to Switzerland for peace talks after Israeli military bombardment in southern Lebanon US and Iranian delegations delayed plans to travel to Switzerland on Friday for the opening round of talks to cement the details of a peace agreement as the Israeli military bombarded southern Lebanon, killing at least 18 people and threatening once again to derail momentum toward a diplomatic resolution.
Artists at the United Nations used cultural artifacts and performances to illustrate how art can counter hate. Examples included an enslaved African's gold collar and Holocaust-era music. A staged hate radio broadcast and participatory porcelain cup displays were also presented. From a gold collar worn by an enslaved African to music preserved for nearly a century after the Holocaust, a staged reconstruction of a hate radio broadcast or porcelain coffee cups laid out in participatory remembrance, artists in a United Nations discussion on Friday used powerful images to underscore how culture can shape the fight against hatred.
The term "Wasian" is gaining visibility in popular culture. “Wasians” are having a moment right now. Think of Winter Olympians Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, actors Lola Tang (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), or singer/dancer Megan Skiendiel from Katseye. In fact, Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey featured many of these same “Wasians” in her recent Madwoman music video.
Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley announced a Caribbean leaders' manifesto for slavery reparations. The document asserts the moral, ethical, and legal case for compensation. It emphasizes harm done to African women. Other Caribbean nations are considering the manifesto. Updated document, which emphasises harm done to African women, is being considered by other Caribbean countriesBarbados’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, has announced a new manifesto from Caribbean leaders asserting the “moral, ethical and legal case” for reparations over damage caused by hundreds of years of enslavement. Mottley was speaking at a “historic” conference in Ghana to advance the push fo.
Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus were sentenced in South Africa for rhino ‘Mastermind’ Dawie Groenewald given fine of 2m rand or four-year jail term almost 16 years after arrestTwo traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police said was the world’s largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga. Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus had faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and de.
Iranian authorities sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to 74 lashes. This punishment was for performing in a YouTube video. She sang "From The Blood Of the Youth" in an empty theater in 2024. The video has 2.9 million views. Iranian authorities have sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to a punishment of 74 lashes for performing in a YouTube video that has racked up 2.9 million views over the last two years.
Colombia holds a presidential runoff vote on Sunday. Colombians will choose on Sunday between two men whose lives have been very differently shaped by the militias, and whose visions for the country are poles apartWhoever wins Sunday’s presidential runoff vote in Colombia, the country’s next leader will have a personal history intertwined with one of the criminal forces at the heart of a decades-long armed conflict that claimed nearly half a million.
A 21-year-old New Zealander, known by his call A soldier who goes by the call sign Kiwi was still a teenager in Wellington, New Zealand, when he saw Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the news in February 2022. As the war dragged on, he learned that he could enlist and receive training to fight alongside the forces defending Ukraine.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied Donald Trump's claim that she begged for a photo at the G7 summit. Trump told an Italian television channel that Meloni had requested the picture. Meloni stated Trump invented the story. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused Donald Trump of making up a story about her, after the US president told an Italian TV channel that she had "begged" him to take a picture with her at the G7 summit in France.
Severe thunderstorms caused destruction in the Balkans last week. The storms formed over the Adriatic Sea due to lingering hot air and a southward cold front. Slovenia experienced strong winds and heavy rain. Strong winds and heavy rain batter Slovenia, while France experiences atypical heatwaveSevere thunderstorms swept across the Balkans last week, bringing widespread destruction to parts of the region.
Repair crews began emergency work on Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral after a June 15 attack. The UNESCO-protected site sustained damage. Priceless items were moved to safety. Experts warn soot and moisture still threaten remaining historic artifacts. Ukrainian workers are conducting emergency repairs to a historic cathedral, part of a UNESCO-protected monastery, which was damaged in an overnight attack on June 15.
Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow region's largest fuel supplier, a refinery, on June 18. This marked the second attack on the facility this week. Russian officials reported at least 16 people were injured in the incident. Multiple Ukrainian drones hit a Moscow oil refinery on the morning of June 18, in what was the second attack this week on the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region.
Commercializing cannabis, not decriminalizing it, leads to increased usage and psychosis rates. An international review found that strict regulation or decriminalization did not boost user numbers. Commercial sales, however, correlated with more users and mental health issues. Review reveals rise in users and rates of psychosis in countries where cannabis is sold commercially Decriminalising the possession of cannabis or strictly regulating access to the drug do not appear to drive up usage, but when the drug is sold commercially the number of users increases and more mental health problems are seen, a review has found. An international team analysed the dramatic shift i.
